The Bodhi Tree, the tree of awakening, is where Buddha found Enlightenment. The tree is actually located in Bodh Gaya in the north of India. It is a important destination of pilgrimage, with a remarkable temple build next to the tree. The tree itself isn't the original, but a descendant of the tree growing in Buddha's time. Other descendants of the original bodhi tree may be found in several locations, such as Sri Lanka and Bangkok.

The tree is a object of worship for buddhists as well as hindus, who believe buddha to be a incarnation of lord vishnu. The Bodhi Tree was harmed, burned, and cut down various times by fanatical Hindus but, according to legend, each time it miraculously regrew.

The latin expression for this special fig-tree-species is ficus religiosa. The holy tree was recently plagued by insects, which not even strong repellants could get rid of.

Sources:
http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/buddhist.html
one article on http://derstandard.at

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